Strong like my Mother
by forkintheriver
Summary: Yuujung is carrying on her mother's dream of running an orphanage at the cost of her own dream. Seeing the injustices of Benders and non-benders, will she be able to keep strong for long? Eventual BolinxOC
1. Prologue: A mother's love

This is my first attempt at any Avatar related fiction. I have rated the fiction 'M' for violence and sexual themes. I would appreciate any feedback from the readers, as I break new ground in the Legend Of Korra. I sincerely hope that you enjoy my story. It starts slow, but I promise it will pick up soon.  
Thank you for your time.

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This is the Journal of Cheong Moa

Beware all who look to read its contents.

**148 ASC, September 14**

I find it rather strange to even start this journal, not quite sure where to anyways. My name is Cheong Moa daughter of Ling and Min, born 121 ASC. I am an Earthbender of Republic City, but enough on that subject.

I find myself in need of a… record of my decisions starting with today and hope to find myself as I continue to write. For now I will start with the events of today in hopes of making you understand myself.

Today was the raid. The Snake eyes and the Triple threat's turf war were planned and I was on the Side of the Snake eyes. We all met early this morning in order to spread out, and prepare for today's attack on the Triple Threat as their area leaders were to leave their warehouse in the fire lumber district of Republic City. I was on the east side of the two-story building facing the side exit, in case the occupants looked to escape a different route whilst we raided within.

I don't know why I did it, but I had decided to wear a face concealing mask today. Perhaps it was the unease within the group, or maybe my fear of being recognized if we were to fail today, but something made me pull the mask from the back of my measly two drawer dresser as I readied myself. I suppose I was also lucky to be stocky and muscular, for with my short cut hair, I appeared very much a man, especially when my mask was donned.

Apparently, the meeting was dragging on much longer than any of us had suspected, or what our inner eye had told us. Ten minutes had already passed much to my chagrin and I was becoming impatient. It was only then that I caught the white tuff of hair that drifted on the wind through my window that I watched from did I realize what was happening. It wasn't an actual meeting but it was an ambush, only we were going to be the victims. There was only one species of animal in the city that had this kind of fur… and that was an Air Bison.

I threw myself against the side of the building I was watching from, eyes darting madly as I tried to formulate a plan in my mind. Did they already know where I was? How long did I have to hide if they didn't already know my position? I pulled myself from the window that I was watching from and backed into the shadow of the inner building. There were few choices, but I sure as hell wasn't going to be caught by the Avatar, let alone the Police of the City.

While dangerous, I knew my best bet at escape and survival would be to hide near one of the entrances of the building and conceal myself within one of the walls. I had only done so once, but it had worked back then. I just prayed that it would work now. I took off quickly from my post and down the hall towards one of the side exits of my own building; undoubtedly this is where they planned to send some of their people to snag the others that waited in the building. Right around the corner from the exit, I bended some of the concrete from the wall and pushed myself against the hard grain, softening and molding the cement around myself. Within seconds, I was hidden and waiting for the metalbenders.

My heart was racing now, and I could feel beads of sweat streaming down the back of my neck. My face was wet against my mask, making it dank and almost unbearably itchy, but I knew better than to move, lest it be the end of me. It seemed as though years had passed as I waited, when it had probably not been more than a minute. The door flew open, a thick mist flowing in as the wood crashed against the wall adjacent to my position. It had begun.

I held my breath as I felt three, then four and finally six beings fly past my position, none of which stopped as they rounded the corner past me. I still waited as the mist started to settle, when I heard the sounds of fighting on the floor above me. Now that the benders were busy on the upper level, I would have a better chance to leave. I extracted myself in one swift movement, dust crumbling to the floor as I breathed my first full breath. It was time to leave.

I turned and ran around the corner, the door gleaming with violently bright light fifteen feet away, ten. I could hear a sharp whir as I spun, stomping to throw a solid slate of cement from the floor which was followed by a harsh clank. I stood steadily postured to find myself face to face with a metalbending prodigy, Bei Fong Lin. I recognized her from one of the many papers that had chosen to run articles on the young bright policewoman who looked to follow in her mother's footsteps. She was twenty-seven, the same age as me.

I could feel the sweat caking the dust on my hands as we faced each other, knowing that she wouldn't let me escape at any cost. She started her first move stronger than I thought she would, but I didn't let that stop me as I twisted my feet making the ground snake and wave. Though she lost only some balance, she released a large boulder, making me slid into a dip to avoid collision. Banging my left fist against the wall, spikes shot out where she stood, but she was able to dodge them. My right fist did that same to the floor, making her move again, briefly in a defensive move, so I could regain my feet below me.

We both stood steadily at the same time, bringing us back into the rhythm of the fight. My chances at escape were dwindling away fast as I continued to fight against Bei Fong. My heart was racing when something completely and utterly miraculous happened. It would seem that one of the benders from Snake eyes had made it down to escape, a waterbender named Naga. I could see his water whip swing towards the policewoman, but it never made it. She had turned and blocked it. Though there was two to one, Naga was visibly tired and I chose not to give up my freedom for years of imprisonment, so I did the one thing that I will never regret, I pulled the ceiling down. And although I succeeded, I was unable to block the sharp-edged baton that Beifong Lin threw right before the ceiling obstructed her view.

Blood streamed from my face as my mask split and fell to the floor, following the metalbended baton. My gloved hands grasped at my forehead, and came away slick with blood. I stumbled against the wall, dumbstruck for a moment as I tried to remember what I had been doing. Everything was sluggish and spinning, but I knew I had to leave and leave now. My feet started to catch on themselves as I fled the scene of the ambush as fast as I could, earthbending the slightest spring into my step so I could more quickly escape, not knowing if I was being followed or not.

I must have ran for ten minutes or more aimlessly before I crashed into an alley, weary and sick to my stomach. My stomach turned painfully as I fell to my knees and vomited my morning breakfast. It didn't stop there either. I dry heaved until I was depleted of any energy I had left. Exhausted I crawled out of the view of the street and behind a trash heap leaning against the wall heavily. My breath was returning, but the pounding in my head was nearly unbearable. I think I blacked out at this point, for I awoke again as twilight was setting in around me.

I could feel the dried blood crack painfully against my face as I opened my eyes and a slight dampness against my nose. The smell of the trash heap around me was nearly unbearable now that my head wasn't pounding. Gulping back the bile forming in my throat, I pulled my glove from my hand and felt the deep gouge that formed on my skin. It ran from the middle of my forehead and down, down to the near tip of my nose. It will scar.

As I try to collect myself to go home, or at least anywhere outside of this dump, I hear a whimper. At first, I sit dumbstruck and conclude that it must have been an anteater cat looking for its next meal. When I hear it again, it's barely above a whisper; it was the sound of a baby crying, in the trash heap next to me. Slipping my glove back onto my hand, I peel apart the trash gingerly; half convinced that I was just hearing things in my head from the blood loss. I find a little wiggling foot. Again, I feel sick, but not from my own wounds.

Carefully, in disbelief, I find a newborn baby buried beneath rotting fruit and dirty newspaper, alive but dangerously thin and cold as ice. It cries a little stronger as I pull it against my warm body. If I didn't have a sign before, this was it. I was alive by some grace, as was this abandoned baby girl, brought together when things couldn't get any worse, both ready to start anew. I cried for the first time in many years tonight, as I held the baby against my chest. She is mine now. She is my precious daughter, Yuujung.

**151 ASC, January 18**

**Yuujung Age: 2**

It's taken over two years for me to finally gather the resources I needed to build my new dream, an orphanage for children. I find the lack of caregivers in the city disturbing; young children are in the streets begging for food, many of the children of benders are being snatched by the gangs off of the streets, never to be seen again.

And my dear Yuujung has grown. The child who I rescued from demise, was petite and in need of medical attention. Frail and cold, the doctors were surprised she had survived at all. But she did. And she grew. Her eyes became a beautiful Hazel; her hair grew in thick and black as onyx. It wasn't long before I came to realize that she was a non-bender and for that I love her even more.

Yuujung and I have found a run-down warehouse that was used to produce wagon parts, but since the revolution in vehicles, it made no profit. It shut down. The two story building is located farther into the city than I first thought was likable, but it was due to this that I was able to get it for the price that I did. It needs a lot of work; the second floor needs to be reinforced and the floor rebuilt, there are a couple of tiles that need replacing on the main level along with a lot of the wiring from what I've been told to get the place up to code. It will take a lot of time and effort, but I'm sure with a little bit of elbow grease, it'll be great.

Yuujung, my dear child, I owe so much to her. I think it was due to her that we were able to get as far as we did. It all started three weeks ago, when I went to council. I had written for a grant to convert the factory to an orphanage and it was being read that day. I dressed myself for the reading, and planned to leave Yuujung to the landlady that morning, so I wouldn't be distracted while discussing the grant.

In an unfortunate turn of events, our landlady fell down her stairs and broke her hip. It was then upon me that Yuujung would have to attend the council with me. I cringed at the very thought, I already had enough slack around me for being 'rumored' as a former street hand, but to bring a child with me would be deemed highly unprofessional. I had no choice.

I dressed Yuujung in the best clothes I could find, second hand clothing I had bargained a merchant for months before. They were still too big for my poor child. She wrinkled her nose at me and screamed "No mom! No! You wear!" This child will be the death of me if she thinks that wearing clothes is as horrible as she makes it sound. After settling her the best I could, with a couple of toys and a cup of juice, we headed to the City Hall.

Surprisingly enough, once we came within view of the building, Yuujung hushed and watched entranced as we came through the doors. I was on time. Before me were the five most powerful people I have ever hoped to meet. From the left there was the Fire Nation, the Southern Water Tribe, the Earth Kingdom, the Northern Water Tribe and the Air Temple representative, Aang the current Avatar.

My chest tightened up when I saw that it was the Avatar before me and not his son Tenzin, who was said to have taken over his seat. Nervously, I set Yuujung onto the bench beside my bag, joining her only when I had also been motioned to sit. My proposition was read before the council, few seemed less than interested in the contents though. My hands started to sweat as I glanced at Yuujung who was sitting quietly for the longest stretch I had ever seen. She was biting onto her fingers again, a habit she developed when she got nervous.

"So, Miss Cheong, why do you think you should be the one to receive any grant money from us for your, what was it? Orphanage?" It was the Fire Nation's representative asking. Her tone of voice didn't match her smile. She seemed quite intent on not giving me anything

Clearing my throat, I stood to address the council for the first time. "I have seen how the streets are lined with children begging for food and shelter alike for many years now-"

"As have we all. What makes you anymore special?" The Fire Nation's representative interrupted.

"I plan on opening a compound to not only house and feed these children, but to also teach them so that they may one day follow a trade of their choosing. I find it imperative that-"

"Again, you are not the first person to stand before this council and say the same thing. If I've heard it once, I've heard it a thousand times. You think that we are made of money here? We can't give a free handout to anyone who's looking to buy a new home. There is no guarantee that-"

"You shuh up." Yuujung had risen from her seat and stood defiantly on the bench, her small hands clenched in fists. "Every need home. You need. You need. You need. You need. All need." With every 'you' she pointed to a member of the council. "You no special, you bully. We help. You spoil." Her pigtails flopped as she collapsed onto the chair, crossing her arms.

Sustained silence followed her outburst and it seemed that some of the council members didn't know whether to be amused or angered that they were talked back to by a two year old with limited vocabulary. I was proud of my child, but all the same I feared that we had lost any chance at getting the grant we needed.

Avatar Aang seemed to consider us for the longest bit, until he smiled gently and rose. "I think we all know the decision that should be made. If it is clear to even the youngest in our city, then it should be also to us. I would like the support of the council to grant Cheong Moa the money that she requires to open and run her orphanage, as long as she meets the guidelines she has set for herself: living, feeding and teaching the abandoned children of our city."

The council was reluctant, but they agreed and a contract was made. My child is full of surprises.

**153 ASC, October 8**

**Yuujung Age: 5**

My child is full of surprises. Yuujung was sent home prematurely from school today for fighting. At first I wasn't sure what to do. The bright white note pinned to her blouse was rather prominent as she tried to sneak into the house without being seen, though I could hear her clanging against the fence the entire way to the door. Her hair had been pulled from her braided pigtails and dirt stained her clothes. She looked up at me in disappointment and fear as to my reaction.

I picked the note from her blouse and pointed to the chair at the table as I read the note from her teacher. I became furious and frustrated as I continued to read and reread the letter. It stated that Yuujung had been sent home from school today for fighting not once, but three times with her classmates. And it wasn't just because they were teasing her… it was because they were discussing "anti-bending" in class. I glanced at Yuujung who was hanging her head. "Do you want to tell me what happened?"

Yuujung shook her head violently, her eyes welling up with tears. "Th-They said that b-b-bend-benders are n-n-n-n-no good. And that t-they need t-to l-l-l-leave the city. I said that t-they s-shouldn't say that since benders help the community. T-they said I was s-s-stupid too and and and and n-need to l-leave."

I came to her and hugged her tightly, stroking her hair with my free hand. "We're not going anywhere and no one is going to make us. I promise. Come on baby, let's get you cleaned up."

**157 ASC, December 29**

**Yuujung Age: 9**

I've done something that I never thought I would do. I told myself I wouldn't since I started my new life, and I bestowed these same feelings to my child and to the children that I take care of in the orphanage; never sell your body. I feel so disgusted with myself after this, I scrubbed my skin raw, but it still doesn't change the feelings of revulsion.

I _slept_ with the Representative from the Northern Water Tribe to keep my grant and to secure fire wood for the furnace.

These last months have been especially hard on me and the children as there has been an influx in orphans, but there haven't been any adoptions. I was close to pulling my hair out while the children were at school, trying to figure out how to get the money for the fuel, when the representative made a surprise inspection. We didn't do as well as I thought we would, especially when he pointed out that we had no fire wood.

I should have shot back that with the bad harvest they should have given us more to survive on. I should have said provide food and I will get the wood. I should have said no. I should have went to the council when he suggested the lewd act. I should have-

Now I am liable. I have as much place in this as he does. I made a mistake, and I regret it. I will never let us get into this situation again as long as I live. I will do what it takes not to put my child or any other in this same position.

As I gazed into the mirror in the bath, I found the mark on my neck and my inner fury returned. I said there were no marks to be left. My hand cracked the porcelain wash basin as I leaned in closer. There was nothing I could do _now_. I would have to tell the children it's a rash. But I know that answer won't be enough for Yuujung; she's grown rather curious these last couple of years.

I have to get dressed. The children will be home soon.

**160 ASC, September 15**

**Yuujung Age: 12**

Today and yesterday have been the hardest days of my life. I took it upon myself to reveal to Yuujung her origins. I somehow regret not telling her sooner, while she was still a child about the circumstances of her birth and my adopting her. She didn't take it well, as I would expect from a child that is mine. She values honesty very highly, and she feels as though I have been lying to her her entire life. I don't know how I would have reacted if my parents had told me the same thing.

She avoided me for the rest of her birthday. And the day after her birthday she merely ate a piece of toast before leaving. She didn't tell me where she was going; only that she would be back as soon as she could. I nodded, knowing that she was still upset with me, and that she needed time away. I let her go.

Then I got the news that there was a crazed Firebender on the loose and that he had mugged and killed a couple across the city. He was still unaccounted for and was considered dangerous.

My heart just about stopped when I heard the news. I never felt so helpless. I couldn't leave the children of the orphanage by themselves to search for Yuujung, but I didn't want her out there on her own either. I hated that I had let my helper leave early today. And it didn't help that the children could tell that I was on the edge.

I paced with baby Kona on my shoulder, patting her back to burp her by the door waiting. Yuujung didn't come home. She didn't come home until nine that evening, once all the children were asleep. I was still up, sick with worry. When she came through the door, I was as angry as I had ever been in that moment. My feet seemed to move on their own and before I knew it, my child was bound in rock up to her waist.

"Where have you been Yuujung! Where have you been?" I was crying again. My child was home and safe but she could have never came back. I fell to the floor crying and never wanted to stop. I wanted to keep her safe, locked up in the house, never to leave again. Would she hate me forever? I thought she would. She had every right to do so.

"Mom, get up. Don't cry. I'm home." She said stoically holding her hand out in front of her. I stood and came to her and engulfed her in a hug, the earth crumbling to the floor around us. "I have something for you, but you need to let go." When I finally backed away, she pushed her hand into my chest. I could feel the coolness of metal against my exposed skin. I took it in my hand and examined the metal. It was half of an oval shaped locket, with a small school picture from the year before pasted hastily into the inner side. "I wanted you to know, that even though you didn't give birth to me, you're still my mother and I love you. I will keep the other half to remind you."

My daughter is more tolerant than I.

**165 ASC, August 1**

**Yuujung Age: 17**

My daughter is more tolerant that I.

I am amazed at how much she has grown in the last five years, though it seems only yesterday, she was a baby in my arms. Now… now she's a beautiful young woman, making her way into the world, a world that I am unsure how to react to, _Politics_. I had known that when she was a little girl, she was meant for something great; compassionate, steady and self-motivated, not to mention stubborn as a bull rooster like her mother.

She had only gotten her letter this morning, and yet she zoomed around the orphanage, full of energy and excitement. She has been invited to become an intern in one of the offices in City Hall… Administrative General or something... maybe it was a general assistant? She flashed the letter so briefly, I was unsure what it had said. The one thing I know is that she is going to be working in close proximately with _him_, that waterbender from the north. I know I shouldn't worry. He hasn't approached anyone since that winter many years ago… but Yuujung is an adult now. It was no longer out of the realm of possibility. I will keep a close eye on him.

Yuujung has told me plenty of times that she wants to assist people, and help them to understand that everyone is equal. She sounded just like the Avatar Aang I grew up listening to, but since his passing twelve years ago, things had changed. There was more corruption and worse, more anti-bending protesters. Some of my friends had already left the city, being unable to find well-paying jobs to keep their homes. It was discrimination, but since they couldn't prove that it was because they were a bender, they could not do anything to stop it.

As a parent, I can't help but feel that my little girl is slipping away from me. There is so much that I don't understand. But things could always be worse, she could be like I was at her age. She could have a man and kids. She could be intolerant of people. She could be stuck up and ready to be done with me. But she is none of these things and for that I'm glad. I just don't want her to lose the spirit that I have seen grow as a child, which will be hard in the corrupt political career track . The things I see are the things I wish I could shield her from. She is still so naïve.

I will protect my child.

**169 ASC, December 5**

**Yuujung Age: 21**

I will protect my child until I breathe my last breath.

I am in shock. The feelings I have cannot be easily translated to paper. I only have six months to live at the most, I have been informed. I didn't expect it to end this way, with a genetic heart ailment, but I should have seen it coming. I knew that it was something along these lines that claimed my parents' lives but to have them pass on these hereditary quirks to me? Damn them! I need to breathe, the doctor says that my temper will only bring me a step closer to death.

Weak heart valves. I should have known. It started nearly a year ago, mostly while the children were out of school and Yuujung was at work. I would black out often, and find myself on the floor when I awoke. If I had gone to the doctor sooner, would I have been able to live longer? It is doubtful. I find myself in much pessimism these days, will my dream die or will my child give up her own dreams to accomplish her foolish mother's?

I have taken on much debt and I am fearful as they continue to pile higher. What have I done to my daughter? She will be furious with me when she finds what I have done. Do I dare let the façade fall or do I continue to pretend that it will all be fine in the end? I cannot tell, things are so unclear to me. There are no favors left for me, I am alone in a house full of love. Is it superficial? I cannot tell. I wish there was someone here that could tell.

I have so much still to confess to the child that knows so little about her own mother. I love her dearly for never prying, but at times I wish she would have tried a little harder to know my past. Now that there isn't enough time, will I be able to get my feelings across to my darling daughter, the last of my light? Again, I cannot tell. I do not wish to die with regrets, but it is hard. I wish it wasn't. But my wishing isn't going to change anything. I will have to find the will to do what is needed. Steady and stable like a rock.

I am not sure I have the heart to tell her. I am a coward. She is working so hard to achieve her dream, but I fear that there may soon be repercussions. The non-bender movement has gotten stronger, they have a leader now, someone that guides them from the shadows; I do not know his name nor does his face, but his words that I have met my ears weigh heavily on my mind. More violent outbursts against the metalbending police have occurred as they have to general bending citizens. They call for a new regime without benders. Why do they think that they can irradiate that which has always been present?

I suppose this is why my daughter is the politician and I am not. She has an understanding of these things, being a non-bender with a bending mother. Bless her. I hope she finds a solution for this situation before it gets out of hand. But for now, I must protect her and the children of this orphanage the best I can.

There are four benders within my home: two earthbending brothers who are five and seven, a waterbending boy aged eight and a firebending girl the youngest of the benders at three and a half. I have tried to teach them restraint to their bending in these dangerous times, but I cannot keep them from showing their spirit and nature; it would be detrimental to their wellbeing. I have written letters to acquaintances outside of the city in hopes of having them adopted to families that will love and protect them. None have written back yet, but it is still early. Hope is present but it is still far from our reach. I dearly hope that the new Avatar will come soon.

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A lone woman sat before the wood stove of the orphanage kitchen, her home for many years, thumbing the last page of Cheong Moa's diary. She was dressed plainly, as many of the working class did, her black hair coiled into a tight coif on the back of her head. She sighed in exhaustion, tossing the book onto the table and checked the clock on the wall. It was nearly midnight and she could hear Hau whimpering upstairs, probably hungry. She had best get upstairs before her crying woke the other children.

As she walked to the stairs, she paused at the miniature shrine that stood in a wall niche. A picture of a reserved Moa stared back at her. She clapped her hands and bowed, "Good night mother. I will see you in the morning."


	2. Chapter 1: Disaster turned Prosperous

Sorry about the delay in the story, I unfortunately got onto the Loki/Tom Hiddleston fan boat and couldn't pull myself from obsessing about the Avengers for a week+. I would like to thank my four reviewers, **TheWonderfulShoe, Shaybo27, Onyxx-09, and Night-Weaver369.**

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The sun beat down on the market street in Republic City, only adding to the general discomfort of the crowd of shoppers out that afternoon who were out looking for deals. It was a very typical day, the rumble of the Satomobiles that were growing very popular amongst the upper classes, a street urchin crying at the corner to try their employer's newest product. All in all, it was a very calming effect for the amateur pro-bender Bolin, who was accompanied by his fire ferret Pabu.

Bolin, an earthbender, wasn't considered to be very tall. In fact, he was nearly two inches shorter than the average height of a man in the city But that had never bothered him at all for despite being short, he was well muscled, as an earthbender typically was. Along with his slightly short stature, Bolin had a baby face, often making people question his age. He was seventeen. His thick messy hair was combed back to some semblance of neat, though a loose strand always managed to grace his forehead.

It really hadn't been that long ago when he and his brother worked long hours struggling to pay for a halfway decent hole in the wall, but since their pro-bending debut, it had been smooth smooth sailing, or at least in Bolin's opinion. The Fire Ferrets were off to a great start so far, advancing quickly through the ranks when no one had given them a second look before. Now they had a sponsor… of sorts, well not really. The owner of the arena was now their landlord and lender, not that Bolin was really focused on it… Unless he was hungry, then he had the habit of borrowing a little extra cash to fill his stomach.

The landlord and his dealings were nearly the farthest thing from his mind at the moment as he adamantly recapped the match the night before to Pabu, who rested on his shoulders. "Those Gouramis sure are tough this season if I do say so myself, they have the speed and coordination, but they tire out easily, so the matches have to be ended fast. If we get matched up with them," Bolin weaved through the crowd on his tip toes and threw slight blows, "Buh Bam! Right in their fire bender's sweet sweet kisser. Good plan right, Pabu?" Pabu yawned and dramatically laid his head upon Bolin's shoulder. "C'mon now, it's not _that _bad of a plan, alright? Tire 'em out and hit them while they're down."

Pabu's ears perked forward suddenly. Bolin felt him claw down into his shirt, "Yeouch! Pabu what are you do-unghf!" It felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach, as he was knocked off his feet. Bolin grasped for breath, as his hand came into contact with that which hit him, a kid with deep brown hair and green eyes. "What's going on little buddy?" he wheezed, as the terrified child started to scramble to his feet. Farther in the crowd he could see two men searching high and low for some one. He could tell just by the look of them that they were part of the gang that ran this particular territory.

Grabbing the boy quickly, Bolin hurried behind one of the food booths that were closed while the owner was on lunch. Shoving the child under the counter, Bolin grabbed the apron hanging on the side of the grill and a hair net. It was a grilled fish booth. "Ole ole ole, cooking some fishy fishes. Yo da lu dee do, you sirs look like you're wanting to buy some fish? Buy good ol' Maru's grilled fish, so good you'll come back faster than you wish."

The two men sneered as they walked by the booth, eyes combing the ground for any sign of the child they had been chasing. They didn't go much farther before the stocky one pulled his companion to the side, "The brat's gone. We'll have to watch out for him around. When he's alone, he's as good as ours. Let's get out of here before we attract much more attention." The stocky man glared at Bolin who was carefully listening to the exchange. Bolin pretended hastily not to be listening by resuming his singing and playacting.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched the two men round the junction a block or so away, choosing then to pull the young child, who had finally caught his breath, from under the counter. "So… you want to tell me what that was all about, little buddy?" The child looked to be around eight or nine, so naturally Bolin was curious as to what trouble he had caused with a gang. The young boy averted his eyes from Bolin and murmured under his breath, "Auntie Moa told us never to talk to strangers."

"Not to talk to strangers, eh? Well, I'm Bolin and this," he pointed to the fire ferret, "Is Pabu the great. And we are very glad to meet your acquaintance. See? Now we're not strangers. You know my name and Pabu's." The boy looked at him with utter skepticism, "That's the stupidest thing I've heard yet and I've heard a lot of stupid."

The boy stared at the floor aloofly as Bolin, who was dumbstruck, tried to decide what the next best move would be. He didn't want to scare the boy, but he really wanted to help him, and if acting a little tough would help to accomplish that, he would give it a try. "Hey brat. I just saved your butt, but I can always call those gangsters back to come and get you, if that's what you really want."

The young boy stiffened up, "You wouldn't really do that would you? And… if I tell you, you won't promise to tell anyone else right? I don't want… my little brother to get into trouble." He fidgeted on his feet, kicking the dirt at his feet. Bolin knelt to his level and looked the boy directly in the eye, "I promise you, I won't tell anyone."

He was slow to start his story, but once he had decided that he could trust Bolin, the young boy opened up. "Auntie Moa always said that we shouldn't talk about it to strangers, especially now… but my brother and I are earthbenders." He gulped nervously, watching for Bolin's reaction; when nothing happened, he continued, "We, my friends, were walking home from school and Bae was playing. And when he really gets into playing, he gets a little rough. And Tai said that we needed to stop before someone got hurt. But Bae didn't listen and he threw rocks while bending through someone's window and it hit them in the head. And then some big muscular guy came out of the house and started yelling for who did it and Bae was scared, so I said I did it."

A yell from down the street made him, jump back under the counter, but it was simply a false alarm, some man yelling about the cabbages being priced too high. "It's okay little buddy, I'll let you in on a little secret too. I'm also an earthbender. A pro-bender in fact!"

The boy's eyes grew almost double in their size, "You're a bender too? Can I call you big brother? You'll teach me all you know, so I can protect Bae and Yuujung right? I may be little, but I want to protect everyone at the orphanage the best I can. You'll help me right big brother?"

He was an orphan too? Having a child before him, a fellow orphan, brought Bolin back to the day that Mako came home, telling him to pack their things, that mom and dad weren't going to be coming back home. He and Mako had roamed the streets, begging for food and work, before they started doing side jobs for the Triple Threat Triad. His heart ached thinking about it. And he knew how the child felt; he wanted to protect his home, even though his home was the orphanage, if only he and Mako had been that lucky.

"Y-You just leave it to big brother! I'll teach you all you need to know then you can be tall and muscled just like me." He pulled off the borrowed apron, replacing it on the grill. Pabu pulled on the hairnet, until it came loose and threw it with the apron. "Well, where do you live? And I don't suppose I can keep calling you little buddy either huh?" He offered his hand to the boy, who grabbed it tightly.

"My name is Shen. And um…" He rummaged through his jacket and pulled out a simple leather disk. When Shen handed it to the seventeen year old, Bolin realized that embossed into the leather was an address, "that's where I live. Yuujung made it." Flipping the disk, in his hand, Bolin smiled down at Shen, "Don't you worry Shen; I'll get you home before dinner…. So who's this Yuujung you keep talking about? Is she your crush?"

The boy's cheeks immediately colored red, and he looked away. "N-no way! Yuujung is Auntie Moa's daughter, but since… since Auntie died, Yuujung has taken care of us. Not that she is as nice as Auntie. Auntie was super nice! Yuujung is… is a dragon lady! She'll make you eat your vegetables and clean up after yourself. And she's not that pretty either. She never washes her hair or shaves her armpits anymore. Y-you wouldn't like her at all." He was panicked and talking a Yuan a minute, making Bolin grin.

"Oh I don't know. I do recall that you said you wanted to _protect _Yuujung with earthbending. Awfully strange to have to protect a dragon with earthbending…" He trailed off watching the young boy fluster a little more.

"You'd protect the owner of your home too if you were smart enough, stupid. Why did I have to pick someone so stupid to be my big brother?" Shen moaned.

"Hey now, I'm not stupid. I tie my shoes one lace at a time, just like you."

Yuujung sighed in distaste as she wiped the sweat from her eyes, smearing dirt across her forehead from her hands. The sun was awfully hot again this afternoon; she noted to herself that she would have to switch the order of how she did things. Gardening in the morning, laundry in the blazingly hot afternoon from now on. Her hair felt disgusting; her nails were in shambles, dirt caked under them and the manicure all but gone.

It had been an especially long month since her mother's death. The emotional turmoil of losing her mother followed by the droves of debt collectors that had come, banging on her doors at all hours of the day and sometimes into the night. She could still remember the scared looks on the children's faces the time they smashed out the windows in the kitchen, when she had refused to open the door.

It had been a nightmare getting the finances all in order, but somehow she had managed it. Her savings were eradicated; she even sold almost all of the clothing she had bought over the years for her job in city hall. But even that hadn't been quite enough. Finally, she started a laundry service out of the orphanage. There had been just enough interest from her busy neighbors for her to earn the money needed to cover any additional expenses that the grant from the city didn't.

Rolling her neck, she could see Hau playing with in the sandpit still, sand everywhere. As long as she kept busy, Yuujung didn't mind if she got a bit dirty. Especially if she was being quiet and happy. The last time that Hau threw a tantrum was also the time when Yuujung learned the small hairless sprout was a firebender. She had learned that the hard way, her left eyebrow being sacrificed to a firebender's anger.

She returned to weeding the garden. She had started the garden while she had still been in school in hopes of reducing the cost of food in the winter for her mother. She had helped her plant it seven years prior. Though she had started the idea, it had been her mother who had taken care of the garden; weeding, fertilizing, watering and planting every year. She felt lucky that it hadn't wilted or become overrun when her mother no longer had been able to take care of it.

Maybe… if she was able to sell the excess vegetables, she could save to buy a goat or chicken and reduce the expenses even a little more. The harvest from the garden would be very good this year. It was a plausible possibility. She could even get to work on a tax cut proposal. As of late, it had been rather popular to approve of such changes in the court rooms with elections coming again. Though she just didn't have the resources or the time for that matter to get together a document presentable enough before the summer's end.

Yuujung spit in revulsion, tasting dirt in her mouth as she removed her fingers from her mouth. Her nervous childhood habit had never left her; she still chewed on her fingers whenever she became stressed or anxious. It was annoying; she had tried countless times in the past to change this practice but nothing seemed to work. Spitting again, she wiped mud onto her apron and checked for Hau again. _Still playing... good_, she thought.

The children were due to be home at any time and she would have to start dinner. And then she would have to get them to do their homework and clean. And then make sure everyone got a bath and get them into bed. There just were never enough hours in the day for her to get anything done at the orphanage she decided. Never a moment for herself. The children always had to come first. It was tiring. She wasn't meant for this kind of work, but she didn't want her mother's dream to die.

It wouldn't be nearly as hard on her if her orphanage wasn't the only one in the city that accepted orphaned bender children. The dire unrest in Republic city was like a ticking bomb. More fights were reported every week between Benders and non-Benders, no deaths as of yet. But she did know that it wouldn't be long until there were. The thought of it scared her; she had no way of protecting children against raging Benders and non-Benders. From her studies in school, history tended to repeat itself, and children were often victims in times of conflict.

She could hear a group of hurried footsteps and from around the corner of the lot appeared her orphans. Her smiled greeting quickly fell away as they approached with looks of terror on their faces. One of them was missing. _Shen. _

"Yuujung! You- You have to help!" Tai gasped, holding the stitch in his side. All of the children were breathless. "Shen's being chased by some guy!" Bae whimpered, tears starting to form in his green eyes.

Yuujung stood immediately, "What's happened? Why is he being chased?" She strode towards Hau with the intention of picking her up. Hau gave a look of displeasure towards Yuujung as she was plucked from her spot in the sand.

"It's all Bae's fault" Sato sneered gruffly. She had a lot of attitude for a four and a half year old, but it was within her nature as a fire bender. "Bae broke some guy's window _earthbending_. I _saw_ it." Tai slapped his hand over the young girl's mouth, earning a glare from her bright amber eyes.

Yuujung made a pained expression, "You know you aren't supposed to earthbend in public Bae! None of you are supposed to, _for your safety_." Her mother had never limited the children in their bending even when the riots had started two years ago. Although those had been quickly squashed by the Metalbending Police, the anti-bending sentiment still rang true within the depth of the city. When her mother had passed, Yuujung had made the tough decision to ask the children not to bend in public; she couldn't stop them from being who they were, she knew that. But she did what she could to protect them.

"We're sorry, Yuujung. It was an accident." Bae started, tears spilling freely, "I-I d-didn't m-m-mean to! I was o-o-only pl-playing. I just want SHEN!"

Now, he was really crying, and Yuujung felt bad immediately for her words, he was only a child, he didn't need to be so harshly reprimanded. She knelt taking him into her free arm and kissed his black colored hair, "its okay Bae. We'll find him. You can count on me." She gave him a quick squeeze before standing straight again, "Which way did they go? We need to hurry." The children gathered around her as she started towards the street, intent on finding the young earthbending boy.

As she turned the corner, she nearly toppled into a young man, who was guiding Shen back into the yard. He threw himself back and out of her way as she flung herself back, holding onto Hau who giggled in glee at the "new game". "Yuujung! Yuujung! This is big brother Bolin! He saved me today from the guys that were chasing me and he was really great. He's pro-bender with the Fire Ferrets and he has a Fire Ferret named Pabu and his brother is a firebender and he's an earthbender and he' s really really really awesome. Can he stay for dinner? Can he? Can he? I promise I'll be good forever! PLEEEEEEEASE?" Shen's mouth was moving a mile a minute, making Yuujung's head spin.

"Woah there, little buddy." Bolin laughed, "You have to give her a minute to figure out what you said." He glanced up at Yuujung, who was rather tight-lipped and smiled nervously, "Uh- why don't you go play in the back with the others?"

"Yes… that would be best right now. Tai," she turned to the nine year old waterbender, "Take Hau with you please. Everyone, it's time to wash up and do your homework." The children gave pleading looks as Yuujung pointed solemnly towards the yard. "Now." They disappeared around the corner begrudgingly.

Once they were gone, she sighed in relief and ran a hand through her hair, "I'm really sorry about that. I'm Cheong Yuujung. I am the caretaker here." She held out her tanned hand and shook the younger earthbender's.

"Bolin, nice to meet you. You've got some well-mannered kids there." He said trying to lighten the conversation. He wasn't particularly good with women, but he could certainly tell when one was ready to bust a skull or two. Comparatively, Yuujung was slightly taller than he, though undoubtedly less muscular, almost lanky. She was disheveled, and her eyebrow incomplete.

"Yeah… they are." She trailed off, looking towards the back yard before snapping back to the present, "So, what kind of trouble did Shen get into? He seems to… look to you as his savior. Undoubtedly you have involvement in some way or another."

_Yesh, straight to the point. Maybe Shen wasn't exaggerating when he said Yuujung was a dragon lady._ Bolin gulped nervously as Yuujung took a commanding stance and awaited explanation. As he explained all that he had witnessed and what Shen had told him, Yuujung's stance slowly slacked.

When he had finished she bowed deeply to him, hands out in a gesture of respect, "Thank you for Shen. He's a very headstrong boy, but he has yet to think anything all the way through." As she straightened she clicked her tongue in annoyance hearing the evening bell. "Are you hungry?"

"I wouldn't want to intrude." Bolin breathed uncertainly, realizing how late it was.

"Nonsense. We have plenty tonight, and you deserve something in return for your help. Besides, I think Shen really wants you to meet his brother since you're his hero." She was persistent and wasn't going to take no for an answer. Awkwardly, Bolin followed behind her to the orphanage.

The first floor was open, the kitchen and living area spread throughout. The children were all present, most bent over their books, though Tai was busy carrying Hau who was sucking on her fingers. In the far corner, wood was stacked against the wall and in the center of the entire floor was a fireplace with a stoked fire. The Second floor appeared to be area from where Bolin stood, but he couldn't be sure. Near the staircase was a nook with incense, flowers and a picture of a woman. Bolin concluded to himself that it was more than likely 'Auntie' Moa, who had passed away recently.

"Bolin!" Shen yelled, looking up from his homework. He was on his feet in a blink of an eye, pulling behind him a young boy. "Bolin, this is my younger brother Bae. He's the one I was talking about; he's an earthbender like us. You're going to teach him some moves too aren't you?" Shen looked up pleadingly, holding tight to his brother's hand.

Bolin gave a quick look towards Yuujung, whose back was towards them busy at the stove. "I'll try my best buddy," he whispered, "but we've got to ask Yuujung first. She's the boss." Pabu wondered down his shoulder towards the boys. Bae squealed in delight as the fire ferret climbed onto his shoulders and rubbed his nose against the boy. The boys were off with Pabu to show him off to the other children.

Yuujung gave a serene smile, seeing the children's smiling faces, before turning back to the stove. Bolin's heart jumped a little seeing it, his checks becoming warm. He shook it off quickly as he walked over to the onyx haired woman in order to help her. She was quick to delegate him to cutting the loaf of bread that sat cooling in the window as she started to pour out bowls of cabbage soup. The smell of it made Bolin's stomach grumble in hunger.

The children were rambunctious and thrilled by their new friend Pabu, who appeared to love children, as he performed tricks for them, like walking on his front paws. They even argued about who Pabu would sit with when they were called to dinner, before Yuujung intervened, telling the children that Pabu would sit with Bolin. Bolin quickly added that they could play with the fire ferret after supper was finished.

When all the children had finished, Yuujung set to gathering the dishes and bringing them to the sink. Bolin carried the last of the dishes, which gave the twenty-two year old a moment to switch on the radio. It crackled with static before it came into tune. "You heard her folks! The new Avatar is here to stay. Words of wisdom from the waterbender who is here to take over the duties Avatar Aang left behind. We now leave you and continue with your usual programming. Blessing with Avatar Korra!" The announcer's voice faded and music faded in.

Yuujung looked to the children who were busy with Pabu and clearly hadn't heard. It would be the talk of the town tomorrow, undoubtedly. Bolin, on the other hand, had heard and was ecstatic. He had been born after Avatar Aang, but he had always looked up to the man. And now the new Avatar was here! In Republic City! He couldn't wait to go home and tell Mako all about it.

And then the thought struck him, undoubtedly Mako would have been off of work hours ago. He was going to be so mad that Bolin had lingered out after dark without telling him where he was going to be. Yuujung who had started the dishes could tell that Bolin was getting anxious. "Is there something wrong?"

Bolin looked at her, unsure. "I think I should start home. My brother is probably there already, and I didn't leave any note on where I was going to be today. It was really nice to meet you and thank you for the meal." He started towards the door, and Pabu stuck his head from the pile of children. Seeing that his master was leaving, the fire ferret bound away from the children and up Bolin to rest on his shoulder.

"Bolin! You're leaving already? You haven't shown us any moves yet." Shen pouted, watching Bolin who had reached the door. The other children seemed disappointed that Pabu was leaving, more than Bolin.

Bolin paused, unsure how to answer. But Yuujung came to his aid, "Bolin has had a long day today, and he needs to get back home to his brother, but he's promised that he's going to come back to visit again, really soon. Everyone say good night to Bolin and Pabu. Then it's off to bed!"

The children moaned unenthusiastically at the realization that it was nearly bed time, but they did as Yuujung had said, telling Pabu good night and wishing for Bolin to come back again soon. Shen and Bae even gave the earthbender a hug before running upstairs after the others.

Once everyone was out of earshot, Yuujung turned to Bolin, "You're welcome to come by any time. And I did overhear you and Shen talking about learning to earthbend." She turned away, arms crossed. Bolin started to get nervously. "And _frankly_, it's probably a good idea for them to start learning." Bolin let out the breath he had been holding. "It is after all, part of their heritage, and its best for them to learn to control it, rather than suppress it. Today has taught me that their lack of control is only building. Even though, I've told them not to bend in public, accidents happen." She turned back to him, "And again I am thankful that you were there to help Shen. I can't imagine how it would have turned out if you hadn't been there. I want what's best for them." She paused for a while, gathering her thoughts. "And your brother? He's a firebender right?"

Bolin nodded, "Mako can even bend lightning. He's quite talented…" Bolin trailed off, "I could see if he would come to teach Sato. He's not always in the mood, but I think he'd come… if I bother him enough." He smiled.

Yuujung giggled, "Well, how about instead you tell him that I will give you a meal each time you come over. I can't simply expect you to teach the children to bend for free can I?" She walked to the stove where the soup had cooled, "And if he's not entirely sure, how about a little bribe? Those never hurt." She poured some of the soup into a smaller pot and covered it with a lid. She met Bolin at the door again, "I'm giving this to you, but I want my pot back. So now you don't have a reason to not come back."

"You've offered free food! How could I not come back?" Bolin smiled opening the door. "I'll talk to Mako. You can bet on it. Heck! Maybe I could even convince Hasook to come along and show Tai a move or two! Thank you!"

"I should be the one thanking you," Yuujung smiled modestly. "Have a safe trip back home, Bolin."


	3. Chapter 2: An Unforeseen Obstacle

Several weeks had passed since Yuujung and the children had last seen Bolin. Bae and Shen were especially disappointed that their big brother hasn't come back to play with them. Yuujung explained was he was probably busy with his pro-bending and hadn't been able to find time to come back. This only caused the children to ask to listen to the bending matches in the evening, so they could try to get news of Bolin and the Fire Ferrets. The young mistress was reluctant to grant their pleas; the violence that pro-bending inspired wasn't something she wanted the orphans to look forward to.

The anti-bending protestors seemed to have gathered steam over the month, holding rallies in the park: gathering, preaching, denouncing the way of the benders and twisting the suppression they _held _over the _normal_ citizens of Republic City. It was disgusting the way they had went on. But it was like any other movement in history, it was the need to control and rule others that fueled the machine. The similarities between these protests and the One Hundred Year War were a surprising and disturbing parallel. But- it had yet to become physical.

Then, the Revelation happened. It was chaotic on the streets of Republic city. The papers were filled with stories about how Amon, the leader of the Equalists, could take away the ability to bend. Some protestors had even gone as far to create flyers, which were distributed about the city saying that Amon was the savior and bringer of the new world. The fear of this new unknown menace had caused more panic and unrest. Many of the paranoid benders had since left the city, taking with them what they could. Others had revolted and started fires to the buildings that they thought harbored anti-bending supporters.

Yuujung scratched the bug bite on her arm urgently, jostling Hau who in return giggled uncontrollably. It was a bright Tuesday morning and Yuujung was escorting the children to school. For the past week, she had kept the children home out of fear and uncertainty, until the insurgences had died away or had been handled by the Metalbending police. The younger of the children found it delightful to be home all day but Tai and Shen knew there was more to their 'holiday'. Today was their second day back to school.

They walked in pairs in front of the twenty-two year old, holding hands as she had instructed them to. Most people didn't seem to notice them; or if they did, they didn't care. But there were the select onlookers who knew Yuujung, and knew the children she shepherded. Some of them that thought she wasn't looking would spit at their feet when they passed by. But no words were exchanged. It was small blessings like this the orphanage mistress was thankful for.

As they approached the school, Tai slowed and became apprehensive. It was uncommon; he was a confident boy, though disrespectful at times. Within view of the gate, Shen, Bae and Sato ran to join their friends in the front yard, but Tai lingered. Yuujung watched him fidget, the young waterbender kicking the stones at his feet with contempt. Unable to see the cause of his behaviors, Yuujung steered him away from the prying eyes and ears to talk with the nine year old. "Tai. What's going on?"

Blue eyes searched hazel, words trying to form in the back of his mind. "I don't want to be here." He whispered sullenly. He was now wringing his shirt in his hands, "The school isn't the same anymore since the Revelation. They-" he paused in uncertainty, words temporarily lost. Yuujung placed a loving hand on his shoulder, urging him to continue his story. Tai swallowed again, "They've separated us."

Yuujung blinked unsure of Tai's meaning. "Separated?" She questioned slowly, imploring the waterbending orphan to continue. Separated the classes into the age groups was the most likely case. The current one room classroom setup was not as efficient as it once had been with parents were more likely to send their children to school. Not too many years before they would rather than send them to work or keep them at home. It was a welcome change, seeing the population educated.

"They've separated us into classes of… benders and non-benders." He breathed, eyes fixed on the teachers who were now gathering their pupils. The orphans were being moved from their non-bending friends towards a separate entrance. Yuujung did not welcome the sight. Something snapped as she took Tai's hand and marched heatedly towards the school building.

One of the teachers caught view of Yuujung and went to meet her, eyeing the pupil she was dragging along in concern. "Is there something I can help you with Miss-?" She asked gaging the woman's reaction.

"Who's in charge around here?" She snarled, eyes glowering. Yuujung watched as the teacher swallowed nervously, unaware what was going on. "I am the guardian to a portion of your pupils here. I want to… No. Need to talk to your supervisor about a situation that has been brought to my attention this morning. I would like to your name as well." Yuujung's presence was rather demanding and menacing to the teacher.

"I don't know what this is about, but I must ask you to lower your voice," the teacher stuttered back, looking for support from one of her coworkers, "There's no need to start a scene."

"There isn't a scene to be start if you answer my inquiries. What I want is simple. I am only looking to rectify a situation that I do not agree with and find may be violating the rights of my wards." She dug into the satchel she carried, shifting Hau to her opposite hip and pulled out her business card. "I am Cheong Yuujung, formerly with the City's Legal Department but currently consul to said Department."

The teacher eyed her suspiciously, judging the orphanage holder's appearance. "It's been a rough month." Yuujung added, knowing the origin of the look of scrutiny.

The teacher huffed, "That's well enough and all, but this child," she indicated Tai, "needs to be getting to class, lest he be punished for being tardy." Tightlipped, Yuujung nodded to Tai who entered the building giving her a beseeching look. "I am Desna, if you must really know."

Desna ascended the stairs, motioning for Yuujung to follow. "You'll want to speak with the Superintendent. He just happens to be in the building today." They passed classes quietly as a bell chimed again.

As they continued through the hall, Hau became impatient. She started pushing against Yuujung's shoulder, trying to free herself from the young adult's grasp. Yuujung struggled with Hau, holding her against her shoulder with one hand as the other dug for a distraction in the brown leather satchel. Finding the rag doll she had packed, Yuujung handed it to the young firebender, whose attention was immediately engaged.

They came to a stop at the end of the hall where Desna knocked on a closed office door. "Superintendent Huang, you have a Miss Cheong here to see you." The woman announced, giving Yuujung another look over.

"Send them in," replied a man's voice from the other side of the door. Desna opened the door and Yuujung entered.

The office was larger than Yuujung expected. Bookshelves and filing cabinets lined the walls on either side of Yuujung; a separate seating area sat in the middle of the room and beyond that sat a beautifully crafted mahogany desk with a man occupying the seat. He was a portly man with graying hair that looked as though it preferred his chin rather than the top of his head. He stood to greet Yuujung, eyes roving her in thought. "Good morning Miss Cheong, I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting before."

"No, we have not." Yuujung countered quickly, "I have not come here to exchange pleasantries with you today, Mister Huang." Yuujung heard the door click behind her. Obviously Desna didn't want the conversation to echo down the halls to every classroom within hearing distance. "I've come to discuss your new policy."

"And what policy would that be," the man drawled, resuming his seat behind the desk. He started to look through his papers again.

"The policy that you are forcing onto your students, the segregation of bender and non-benders!" Yuujung growled, slamming her fist on the desk. She was aggravated from the nonchalant attitude that the superintendent used. It also ate at her that she wasn't controlling her temper the way she should be. Her mother had always said that she was hot-headed when she was upset.

"Ah. So you're one of _those _people." He sneered at her. Hau started to whimper in Yuujung's arms, burying her face into Yuujung's top. The superintendent stood from his chair, crossing his arms around his back, "Bender or bender-lover living in a world consumed in lies and suppression. Undoubtedly, it must stem from being raised and manipulated by your bending mother. Poor soul." He passed to his window and stared into the yard where two segregated classes started their physical education. "This is only the beginning."

"What do you mean 'this is only the beginning'?" Yuujung scowled, glaring at the man's back. "What right do you have to separate children from their friends? To show such blatant inequality?"

"You said it yourself! The inequality between a non-bender and bender! Benders take advantage of non-benders all the time! Why would I put my poor students into the way of those that cannot control themselves? To have them taken advantage of? It has always been the strong suppressing the weak. Because of reoccurring conflicts, I have finally taken action and separated the two. Isn't it better to remove the stimuli before it ignites a reaction?" Huang reasoned, solemnly standing at the window still.

"What you're doing may be protecting the students in the short term, but what of when they are out of school? Their interactions here in school are ones of children and instilling prejudice at a young age is just creating a future problem for all parties involved and uninvolved." She was seething now at what she felt was the greatest stupidity she had ever encountered. It was people like him that were causing more problems in the city than preventing. She was starting to get a really bad feeling about where this was going.

"Ah, you are anticipating that there will be problems. Come next year there won't be a problem. Amon will take care of that. I can promise that to you now. You had best rethink your stance on benders and non-benders girl." He turned with a look of scorn and watched Yuujung's face contort in indignation.

"I-I can see that this is going to go nowhere. And for that, I am very sad." She turned and walked to the door. "You do not need expect my wards tomorrow; I will be moving them to another school. I thank you for the years that you have been a partner in education for my mother's orphanage." She nodded curtly and left.

Hau patted Yuujung's face, wiping the hot tears of anger with her petite fingers. "No." She stated firmly to the twenty-two year old making Yuujung smile gently as they exited the school.

"You're right Hau." Yuujung sniffled, wiping the stray tears as they took to the street, "There's no use in crying over spilt milk." She pinched the young firebender's nose softly. "We've got a lot of work to do." Hau laughed in response and threw her rag doll to the ground.

The morning went by quickly as Yuujung returned the cleaned laundry to her neighbors. She collected her fee and thanked them for their continued patronage. After that she grabbed a quick lunch with a former coworker at Han's Noodle Shop. Hau threw a horrendous tantrum when she was not presented with food right away. Minimal damage was caused, but Yuujung offered money to pay for the damages anyways. While she was on her way to pick up the children, Hau fell asleep on her shoulder, her runny nose smearing snot onto Yuujung's threadbare tunic.

Yuujung was haggard by the time she got home, only to be surprised to greet Bolin and a new face. The children screamed in joy, running to greet Pabu. The loud racket startled Hau into awareness and she started her own screaming in response. Bolin's brother looked uncomfortable; whether it was because he was surrounded by strange children or because he came without prior notice, the twenty-two year old didn't know.

"Yuujung!" Bolin panted, having finally waded through the children, "Sorry that we didn't give you a heads up about coming, but we were in the neighborhood and well- here we are!" Mako avoided the children carefully, holding his scarf out of harm's way, "Yuujung, this-! Is my Brother Mako. Mako, Yuujung."

Mako bowed and Yuujung returned the gesture, "It's a pleasure to meet you." Yuujung smiled, "Are you going to be staying for dinner?" Hau whined to be let down, having spotted Pabu who was being chased by the children. Yuujung complied as she waited for the brothers' answer.

"Well, if you don't mind," Bolin started, only to have Mako elbow him in the stomach. Words were exchanged between the brothers, something that sounded vaguely like "stop thinking with your stomach!"

Yuujung hid a smile, "You are more than welcome to stay for dinner. We've become used to people dropping in recently. Which reminds me, Bolin did you talk to your brother about the bending thing?"

Bolin nodded, "See Mako? I told you. He didn't believe that you had asked." The younger brother seemed a little smug about proving Mako wrong. His firebending brother on the other hand seemed a little bit apprehensive.

"Are you sure about this though? You have heard of the Equalists right? With all that negative sentimentality, do you really want to put these kids in danger?" He had every right to be cautious, in times like these. And it hadn't escaped Yuujung's notice when Bolin shivered at the mention of the Equalists. Something had happened to them.

"I think these children need to learn how to bend out of necessity. Although I do not believe this is the best environment for them to learn." She indicated the yard of the orphanage in a long sweep of her arm. "It is quite dangerous for them to be orphans as it is without advertising it to the entire world." Her words wandered off as she watched the children playing once again. Their knowledge of bending could be a key in protecting them.

She shook her head abruptly, turning to the brothers. "Though, I don't think it would hurt if you showed them a move in a your bending forms. They have been rather anxious for you guys to come to visit, especially Shen. And I have to get some work done inside, so if you don't mind keeping the children busy for a little while..." She pleaded.

Bolin was eager to show his moves as he ran to tell the orphans the news. Mako, however, remained suspicious of Yuujung's motives, but followed his brother.

Yuujung entered the orphanage to not only start on dinner, but to brainstorm possibilities of where to continue the children's education. The next closest school was clear across the district. And on top of that, it was inside another gang's territory. There weren't many options after that, unless she considered getting registered with the city to educate the children herself. It wasn't exactly uncommon for families to homeschool their children; her own mother had considered it for her at one point, after she had been sent home for fighting. She didn't know the process or even if she met the requirements for her to become certified. She would have to look into it soon though only as a last ditch effort.

She made a list of the things she would have to take care of while cooking. She had to consider the fact that the children might have to come to City Hall with her when she went to inquire about the alternative options for education. It didn't seem very efficient to take the entire family with her, but she was left little choice, unless she asked one of the neighbors to watch them, but even then that was pushing it.

She sighed in antipathy, chewing on her fingers. Maybe she could ask Bolin and Mako to watch the children. She glanced to her mother's shrine. _I wish you were here. You would know what to do at times like this. _A stray tear caused by frustration was quickly wiped away. She couldn't just keep crying, she told herself. She would have to be strong, for herself and for the children.

Her inner reverie was interrupted by a knock on the door. The twenty-two year old's eyebrow quirked; the children wouldn't knock to enter their own home. Yuujung quickly wiped her fingers on her pants as she answered the door. She instantly recognized the man who waited on the threshold. He ran messages for the United City Council, but she didn't know his name.

"Good evening, Miss Cheong." He knew her name though. A sealed envelope was quickly presented to the hazel eyed woman, "You are expected to meet with the United Republic Council two mornings from now at ten after eleven. It is mandatory that you attend, lest you be charged at fault. Please direct any questions you may have to Councilman Tarrlock. Good evening." The man was gone before Yuujung could summon even a word in response. What was going on?

She opened the letter gingerly, nerves in a tangle that she could not fathom to unravel in her current state. Her breath hitched and her lungs became tight as she read the letter to herself.

* * *

Dear Cheong Yuujung,

You are being summoned in regards to the Orphans' Fund which your mother was assigned use and support of. It has been brought to our attention that you are not registered with the city to receive these funds and we must delegate the future use of the program and discuss your intentions concerning the Orphanage. It is imperative that you meet at the designated time below with all arguments ready for the council to consider.

Thursday, June 14th ASC 170 11:10 am

Thank you for your cooperation,

Councilman Tarrlock

* * *

Yuujung crumpled the letter in her hand but quickly regretted her decision. She went to the table and tried to smooth it flat. Her mother had not mentioned to her that the grant wasn't something that was readily available to the facility. She had thought that as long as the requirements were met it, would simply be distributed. The shock of it was nearly beyond her, accompanied by the vague thought of having given all of her savings and dreams up in order to save her mother's pride and joy only to have it wretched away from her. It was pure irony.

She laughed, full of nerves. Truly, she could not be filled with any more rage or despair if it were possible. The door banged open and the children poured in, the pro-bending brothers following in behind. Shen made a beeline for Yuujung, his eyes sparking with ecstasy. Yuujung smiled despite her inner anguish.

"Yuujung! Big brother Bolin is amazing! He's super-fast and strong and so cool!" Shen threw a punch, demonstrating what he had seen, "I want to be just like him!" He was gone again, beaming up at his hero, who didn't seem to mind basking in the attention the young earthbender was showing him. Mako seemed to be less comfortable than his younger brother, but more adjusted to his current environment than before.

As she served dinner, Yuujung tried to think of the best way to approach the brothers about possibly supervising her wards. She had formulated that it would be in her best interests to visit with Tarrlock before the council meeting, but she didn't dare bring the entire group on a social call. She didn't have long to wait before the opportunity was presented to her. Shen pulled Bolin over excitedly after dinner had finished and the other children were preoccupied.

"Tell her!" Shen whined, looking up at Bolin with begging eyes. Yuujung pulled away from doing the dishes, wiping her hands on a dish towel as she waited for the green-eyed earthbender to speak.

Bolin twiddled his thumbs, "Well, you see, I was talking with the kids outside and they told me about how they had never seen a pro-bending arena before. And you see, me and Mako actually live in the facility, so I could… you know, give the kids a tour of the place. Show them how a real bender works too. No social stigma waiting to bite you back in the big arena." He smiled, hoping that his argument was effective.

Yuujung's lips became tight. Her mother had considered the same little treat for the children years back, but the fact that it cost so much money for a tour didn't seem economical then, and even less now with all the debt that had been accumulated. "We don't have that kind of money," she sighed, "or else I would love for them to go."

Shen's face fell faster than his dreams that were crushed, tears already brimming at his eyes from the rejection. He sniffed deeply and looked away trying to hide how upset he was. Bolin quickly came to his rescue, "No. No. No. I know the guy that runs the facility, I mean he's our sponsor, landlord… person. And uh- There wouldn't be a charge."

Yuujung mulled over it for a moment. The arena was clear across the city and it would take a while for the kids to walk there and back again. Enough time for her to talk to Tarrlock. "It could work. I do have some things to take care of tomorrow, so I don't think I could come along, but I mean, if you don't mind watching four kids…" She trailed off.

"It wouldn't be a problem at all." Bolin promised, ruffling the now smiling Shen's hair. "They're good kids. And I know I can handle anything they throw it me. Literally and metaphorically."

Yuujung grinned at Bolin's confidence in working with children. _Maybe it's an earthbender's thing, being able to handle children so well_, the woman mused thinking of her mother. "I know the children are going to love it, but they get hungry pretty quickly. I could pack a picnic for you. It wouldn't be much, but it would probably tide them over from breakfast to supper. Is your brother going to be okay with this though?" Mako was carrying Hau, bouncing her nervously on his knee. Hau was screaming in delight, her little hands grasping at the air.

"He'll be fine. He's going to be at work. He'll probably say that he doesn't care as long as they don't destroy or break anything." The seventeen year old stated. "So, we're doing this tomorrow right?" Yuujung nodded in conformation. Shen gave a whoop as he ran to tell the others the news.

Bolin and Yuujung worked out a time and place for them to meet in the morning before Yuujung sent the children to bed. Mako had relaxed by the end of the visit as he handed Hau off to her guardian. Hau whined, reaching back for Mako greedily, "Ko! Ma! Koooooooo!" Yuujung laughed at the face Mako made when Hau screamed his name. The boys departed soon afterwards.

The next morning was a bit of a blur, the children bustling up and down the stairs, rushing through breakfast and then waiting impatiently for the meeting time to come around. Yuujung took it all in stride the best she could. Because she was meeting with the councilman, she made the first effort at bettering her appearance in two months. Her hair was carefully braided and coiled at the base of her neck and light make-up adorned her face, the most present where she had filled in her eyebrow. Her clothes were clean and fresh pressed, her shoes polished and glistening in the sunlight.

Yuujung breathed deeply seeing herself, a small glimmer of pride and relief in her eyes. It seemed so long ago that this was an everyday occurrence. She didn't look like a beggar. She looked respectable. Presentable. Competent. Her tanned fingers ran over the glass a she reminisced days when her dreams were being pursued. And for a short moment, she hated her mother. If she hadn't died, this would have still been her reality. She bit her lip, shaking the thought from her mind. _I can't be selfish. _

She took one last glance in the mirror before heading downstairs, where the children all waited patiently by the door. Shen was the first to notice her. "Yuujung! You're not dressing up for Bolin are you?" he squealed in surprise, seeing his crush dressed up.

Yuujung laughed, knowing the boy's affinity towards her, "Of course not Shen. I have a meeting today with a very important member of the United Republic Council." She smoothed Sato's black hair behind her ears, and took in the children's appearance. Bae and Tai held the basket between them, each holding a handle while Shen held onto Hau's hand.

Yuujung picked up the youngest of the children with ease, "Does anyone need to use the bathroom before we leave? I don't know when you'll get another chance." Bae gave a nervous look as he let go of the basket. None of the other children moved while Bae used the bathroom. It was immediately following his return that they started off.

Bolin was waiting for them patiently at the halfway point, dressed in his usual grey ensemble, Pabu lounging carefully on his shoulder. Pleasantries were quickly exchanged before they split off into separate groups, Yuujung and Hau went one way while Bolin with the rest of the children. The children waved one last time at Yuujung before following happily behind their earthbending friend.

"Alright, it's just you and me Hau." The walk to City Hall was quiet between the two of them, Yuujung switching Hau from hip to hip every so often when one side became tired. How the hazel-eyed woman wished she owned a stroller. Another thing she added to the long list of things she would eventually buy if things went her way this week. It wasn't long before she arrived at her destination.

She paused at the bottom of the stairs of City Hall and looked up in wonder. No matter how many times she had seen the building, it always took her breath away. It was like her home away from home. Hopefully one day, she would be able to return here to work. She exhaled as she climbed the stairway of the beautiful white and gold building.

Inside, the City Hall was buzzing with activity: Assistants rushing from offices, papers flying, secretaries directing traffic and visitors. The smell of paper and ink filled her nose. She definitely missed this. Yuujung continued towards the left wing of the building where the council often held their sessions. If they were in a meeting, the doors would be closed.

As she came into view of the Council room, she sighed in relief; they weren't in session. Hopefully Tarrlock wasn't out to lunch yet. The schedule of the United Republic Council was often sporadic which made meeting with a representative difficult.

All of the council members had their own personal office in the building, though some were rarely used, like Councilman Tenzin's. If he wasn't in, she would still have a good portion of the afternoon to try and track him down. As she approached the offices she could hear voices rising in anger. "-If you think that I will allow you to involve Korra in your plot, you are sorely misguided Tarrlock. She needs to finish her training as an airbender and even after that I don't-"

"Tenzin," a smooth deep voice called, "whether or not the Avatar chooses to join my task force is not your decision but her's. I would hate for these things to escalate out of control."

"Don't do anything stupid that we're all going to regret Tarrlock. She's just a girl." There was a swishing sound and Councilman Tenzin came around the corner, clothes flying as he marched away from the offices. Yuujung moved to the side as he passed by, detecting anger visible on his face. She gulped. What she had heard would be kept to herself.

By the time she had reached his office, Tarrlock was already engrossed in conversation with his assistant, whispering quietly to him. Yuujung stood by the office doorway awkwardly, not wanting to interrupt the conversation, but wanting to be noticed. She shifted her weight from foot to the other. Hau had managed to fall asleep during the walk, exhausted from her busy morning.

Several minutes passed without Yuujung being noticed before she cleared her throat to get their attention. Immediately the duo backed away from each other, looking at the young woman in suspicion. "I-uh," she cleared her throat again, "don't have an appointment with you Councilman, but I do have a couple of questions regarding the Orphans' Fund."

Understanding lit the Northern Water Tribe representative's eyes, "Ah, yes. Miss Cheong, do come in. I was hoping that you would stop by." He gestured for Yuujung to enter. A couple more words were said to his assistant, who promptly left closing the office doors behind him. "It's a pleasure to finally be able to meet you. I heard a _lot _about your mother from my predecessor. Such a strong woman, I am sorry for your loss."

Tarrlock had taken over the position of Councilman nearly ten years before and was the youngest member. But despite his youth, he often garnered the most support from the benders and non-benders of the city. A large part of it was his straight cut way of talking and getting his point across. She mused to herself that a small part of it most likely had to do with the fact he was quite handsome. Yuujung was not attracted to him nearly as much, but would admit he was charming.

He held her free hand and gave it a gentle kiss that tickled Yuujung. "Thank you for your kind words, Councilman." Yuujung replied, readjusting Hau's weight on her shoulder. The young firebender rubbed her face against Yuujung's shoulder, but miraculously remained asleep.

"You can place her on the couch. You and she will be more comfortable for this conversation I think." His hand swept towards the leather seating situated in front of the desk. It was an excellent idea as Yuujung could feel her shoulder already cramping. Gently, she lowered the sleeping firebender, smoothing the little bit of hair she possessed. Hau sprawled comfortably.

Yuujung turned to face the councilman, to find him standing closely behind her. She jumped back in surprise, but caught herself before she fell into the couch. Tarrlock had moved to assist her as well, griping her wrist gently. "Careful." He chuckled, releasing her.

"Thank you." She was nervous and it showed on her face. All of her plans rode on this meeting going well but she didn't know where to start. She had calculated her words and mulled deeply over them since the night before, but when push came to shove her tongue was tied in a knot and her premeditated words became jumbled.

The councilman could see the younger woman's discomfort. He backed away, giving her a little bit of air. And waited. He was a patient man. "You have questions you said?"

"Uh… Yes. I mean no. I don't even know what I mean." She exhaled clearing her mind, "What I mean to say is that I do have questions, but I'm more interested in discussing the… situation that I am in. I hope we can find a solution that is beneficial to my cause."

"Indeed," the man's blue eyes swept Yuujung's body, "I do believe that my precursor may have had a similar deal with your mother. Do you know anything about that?" Their eyes met and Yuujung's stomach dropped, knowing what he referred to.

"Councilman Tarrlock, I do not consider the situation as the same-" Yuujung started but was interrupted.

"Isn't it though? You need something that you can't achieve on your own, and I am a generous man, at a price." He walked to his desk, uncorking the decanter and poured himself a glass. He swished the liquid briefly before taking a sip. He raised his glass towards Yuujung in an offering motion. The twenty-two year old shook her head.

"Why would I not have the support of the council in continuing my mother's orphanage," Yuujung asked, trying to ignore the statement the waterbending man had just offered. She was not her mother and she didn't want to live under the influence of someone that was as fickle as Tarrlock. There were other council members she could go to.

"Do not think that I am naïve." Tarrlock growled, "I know all about the debt your mother incurred over the past decade and that you paid for her stupidity. And I know about your actions yesterday." Yuujung opened her mouth to protest," No, I'm not finished speaking yet. I also know that you pulled the children from their school yesterday, and no matter the reason, you just proving yourself to be an inept and very dangerous guardian."

"You don't understand, they are separating the children-"

"I am aware of what they are doing." Tarrlock replied calmly, "All of us on the council are. And while it is noble of you to try and remove your young benders from a situation such as that, you are also not keeping with your mother's contract. You are _not_ caring for the children in the best interest of anyone but yourself. And even then you are simply a thrall to your mother's delusions. Let us both be honest in saying that this is not your life calling."

"That may be the case," Yuujung faltered, feeling personally attacked, "but that isn't going to stop me from continuing to pursue my mother's cause. You're not the only councilmember. I can always speak to someone else." She verbalized miserably, trying to flip the circumstance back onto the tall waterbender. She was met by his contemptuous laugh.

"The other council members are too easily manipulated; look at how the grant was created in the first place: a nobody with a dream and a convincingly clever child who knew how to appeal to the senses of a good willed Avatar. A touching manipulation of the system. Do you really think that you can get their support with all of the reckless acts you have committed since inheriting your mother's position? They won't even give you a second look." He slinked over to the young woman, placing his hands onto her shoulders. "And that's why I am offering you my support."

Yuujung in turn shrugged off his hands, glowering without restraint. Her feelings were in a jumbled mess and she was no longer in a pleasant mood. On the surface she struggled to remain in her calm façade, but her eyes told the truth. She was irate, on the edge of irrational. Red fury was overriding any logic that was left.

Before another word could be exchanged, a knock reverberated from the door as Tarrlock's aid poked his head in. "Sorry to interrupt, but sir, the next council hearing is about to begin."

"My apologies Miss Cheong," Tarrlock quipped as he bowed in amusement, "but I must be going now. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning." He had efficiently trapped his prey and only had to wait for her to give in.

* * *

I really love reviews, _hint hint._ Thanks again to my three reviewees: **Shaybo27, TheWonderfulShoe** and **Noxen**. Your words made me smile when I read them.


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